Washington, D.C. - The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee approved the following nominations for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by voice vote late yesterday:

• Mr. Kenneth Kopocis, nominee to be Assistant Administrator for the Office of Water, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

• Mr. James Jones, nominee to be Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

• Mr. Avi Garbow, nominee to be General Counsel, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), John Boozman (R-AR), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Deb Fischer (R-NE), James Inhofe (R-OK), Jeff Sessions (R-AL) and David Vitter (R-LA) asked to be recorded as a "no" vote for the nomination of Kenneth Kopocis.